W.J. Keith
by George J. Dance William John Keith (May 9, 1934 - July 14, 2018) FRSC was a Canadian poet, prose author, academic, and literary critic. Life Keith was born and raised in north London, England.England. He came to Canada in 1958. He was educated at Brentwood School, Essex. After completing National Service with the Royal Army Educational Corps, he entered Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1955, graduating in 1958. He won a fellowship offered by the Canada Council to take his graduate studies at the University of Toronto, where he earned an M.A. in 1959 and a Ph.D. in 1961.William John Keith obituary, Globe & Mail, July 16, 2018. Legacy.com, Web, Mar. 22, 2019. He taught at McMaster University (1961-1966) and the University of Toronto (1966-1995). He edited the University of Toronto Quarterly for 9 years, 1976-1985. Since 1995 Keith has been a professor emeritus of English at University College, University of Toronto.Introducing Margaret Atwood's The edible woman, Google Books. Web, Jan. 31, 2013. He married Hiroko Sato, a Japanese-born schoolteacher, in 1965. He and his wife were both avid birders and world travelers, making bird-watchng trips on all 7 continents, as well as cruises and cultureal tours. Keith passed away in his sleep on July 14, 2018. Writing Poetry Kent Lewis, Canadian Literature: "Keith’s power lies in his willingness to tolerate paradox, contradiction, confusion, and a lack of resolution, in the foundation of faith itself ... he ... appreciates the dilemma of writing religious poetry in a thoroughly constructed and measured world ... he best navigates between preying on, and praying to the sacred." Ronald Charles Epstein, Canadian Book Review Annual: "Keith goes beyond mere self-expression, aiming for an emotional resonance expressed in a technically accomplished manner; fortunately, he is usually able to achieve his goal."In the Beginning, and other poems, St. Thomas Poetry Series. Web, Jan. 31, 2013. Recognition Keith was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1979. Publications Poetry *''Worshipper of Earth: A centenary tribute in verse to Richard Jefferies''. Flitwick, UK: Hub Editions, 1985. *''Echoes in Silence''. Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane Editions, 1992.Echoes in Silence / W.J. Keith, Trove, National Library of Australia. Web, Jan. 31, 2013. *''In the Beginning, and other poems''. Toronto: St. Thomas Poetry Series, 1999. *''Poems for Hiroko''. Toronto: privately printed, 2000. Non-fiction *''Richard Jefferies: A critical study''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1965. *''Charles G.D. Roberts''. Toronto: Copp Clark, 1969. *''The Rural Tradition: A study of the non-fiction prose writers of the English countryside''. Toronto & Buffalo, NY: University of Toronto Press, 1974; Hassocks, UK: Harvester Press, 1975. *''The Poetry of Nature: Rural perspectives in poetry from Wordsworth to the present''. Toronto & Buffalo, NY: University of Toronto Press, 1980. *''Epic Fiction: The art of Rudy Wiebe''. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta Press, 1981. * Canadian Literature in English. London & New York: Longman, 1985 ** Erin, ON: Porcupine's Quill. Volume 1, 2006; Volume 2, 2007. *''Introducing Margaret Atwood's 'The Edible Woman': A reader's guide''. Toronto: ECW Press, 1989; Toronto: General, 1990. *''Robertson Davies''. Toronto: ECW Press, 1989. *''Regions of the Imagination: The development of British rural fiction''. Toronto & Buffalo, NY: University of Toronto Press, 1988. *''A Sense of Style: Studies in the art of fiction in English-speaking Canada''. Toronto: ECW Press, 1989. *''An Independent Stance: Essays on English-Canadian criticism and fiction''. Erin, ON: Porcupine's Quill, 1991. *''Literary Images of Ontario''. Toronto & Buffalo, NY: University of Toronto Press (Ontario Historical Studies series), 1992. *''Life Struggle: Hugh Maclennan's 'The Watch that Ends the Night'.'' Toronto: ECW Press, 1993. *''The Jefferies Canon: Notes on essays attributed to Richard Jefferies without full documentary evidence''. Oxford, UK: Petton Books, 1995. * (with others) Holy Cross Quadrangle. U.S. Geological Survey, 1997. *''Canadian Odyssey: A reading of Hugh Hood's 'The New Age / Le nouveau siecle'.'' McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002. * John Cowper Powys's 'A Glastonbury Romance'. Toronto, 2005. *''John Cowper Powys's 'Porius'.'' Toronto: 2005. *''John Cowper Powys's 'Autobiography': A reader's companion''. Toronto: 2006. Edited *''E.J. Pratt: Selected Poems'' (edited by Sandra Djwa, W.J. Keith, and Zaig Pollock). University of Toronto Press, 2000.Selected Poems, Google Books. Web, Jan. 31, 2013. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy Open Library.W.J. Keith, Open Library, Internet Archive. Web, Jan. 31, 2013. See also *List of Canadian poets *List of literary critics References External links ;Prose *"Literary Periodicals in English" in the Canadian Encyclopedia *"Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts" in the Canadian Encyclopedia *"Poetry in English, 1867-1918" in the Canadian Encyclopedia *"David Solway's Islands" in the Antigonish Review *"Sympathetic, Generous ... and Tough - review of Robert Weaver: Godfather of Canadian literature at Literary Review of Canada ;Books *W.J. Keith at Amazon.com *W.J. Keith at Goodreads Category:1934 births Category:Canadian literary critics Category:Canadian poets Category:English-language poets Category:20th-century poets Category:Poets Category:McMaster University faculty Category:University of Toronto faculty Category:Canadian academics